This is my 7th pregnancy...but the first time I've even been told I have an SCH. I had an ultrasound at my first visit with my midwife and that was when they found it behind the placenta. I had some minor bleeding around 10 weeks, which never happened to me in pregnancy before, but it probably had something to do with this SCH. Anyhow, my midwife said it was small and would most likely resolve itself, but that it was something to keep an eye on. I was put on 'pelvic rest' which she said meant no heavy lifting, but if I hadn't had any issues with bleeding during sex than it was fine to continue, unless we had an episodes of bleeding.

Anyhow, I have had 4 ultrasounds now, and it's still there. It's slightly larger, but still small in terms of size. I haven't had any bleeding, but I'm just wondering why it's still there, and if it doesn't dissolve before delivery, could it cause any problems? I have googled this subject to death and found widely varying opinions, from people who said it's rarely a problem, to others who said it caused preterm labor ( due to the bleeding behind the placenta irritating the uterus ) and complications during delivery. I'm having another ultrasound the first week of October - I'll be about 23 weeks - and I'm hoping it will be gone. Anybody have any experience dealing with this?

Also...I usually see one particular midwife but at my last visit I saw a different one. She told me no lifting, no sex, no sweeping and mopping...for real? I didn't tell her that the other midwife's definition of pelvic rest was vastly different than hers!!

they can be dangerous and thats why shes telling you to do very little. I know of one girl who's baby was lost at 20 weeks due to this- it causes the placenta to not be adhered well. i had one with a baby i lost too.
usually its caused my contractions so the placenta pulls away. some are due to a loss, some to twins. some have no reason at all.

Take it easy! I'm not trying to scare you, but my friend is on hospital bed rest right now because her water broke at 23 weeks due to complications from a large subchorionic hematoma. She was bleeding a lot though. Please, please, don't strain your body. It won't heal unless you rest.

Thank you ladies! I feel a little guilty now because other than avoiding heavy lifting, I haven't really changed anything else that I do. I would feel horrible if something happened to this baby because I wasn't taking the situation seriously. My regular midwife really doesn't seem too worried about it though. I asked her what happens if it's still there by the end of my pregnancy and she just said don't worry, it's unlikely. Assuming that I go full term, can this be a problem with delivery? I'm planning on my 2nd hospital waterbirth. I've never had a c-section...does having an SCH make that a possibility?

Mine was diagnosed at 8 weeks, got bigger at 10 weeks and didn't fully resolve until 18 weeks. I kept doing to much I think. Stay away from any blood thinners, some pain meds have thinners and some foods have thinning capabilitiies.

Mine was diagnosed at 8 weeks, got bigger at 10 weeks and didn't fully resolve until 18 weeks. I kept doing to much I think. Stay away from any blood thinners, some pain meds have thinners and some foods have thinning capabilitiies.

Um, they are kinda common and not really as scary as everyone is making out. They CAN grow. But they CAN shrink. At this point you do NOT need a perinatalogist. That's extreme over kill. They can tell you nothing more, then you already know. They can not change anything.

I had a horrible SCH that left me soaking in blood with large clots. My DS survived the ordeal but it was close. I lived a normal life, with pelvic rest. Of course I carried my 15 month old. Of course I washed the floor if needed. I didn't put myself out or go to the zoo or anything. But there's really no PROOF that laying with your legs in the air stops anything that nature has decided must be.

Mostly they want you to avoid straining and relax. I don't strain carrying my son but I'm fit and do it all the time.

I had some bleeding right at 12 wks & my OB put me on 6 weeks of modified bedrest/pelvic rest. It sucked. Not to mention that there isn't much research to support bedrest. Pelvic rest makes a little sense to me, but bedrest didn't. I had no vaginal bleeding after that first week, but had frequent u/s. The size of my bleed continued to increase for 1-2 weeks, then decreased rapidly. It was still barely visible on the u/s I got at 20 weeks, but was gone at 25. I had no other symptoms with it & felt fine the entire time, which was part of what made bedrest such a PITA. I took some extra Vitamin C & made sure I was taking my fish oil twice a day, but didn't do anything else special.

And yes, the things you can read online are scary, but taking it easy is about all you can do--there really isn't a thing you can do to control whether there are complications or not.